Euro 2020 (21)

[yuppie]

Its been a long time for England supporters.

Enjoy the moment.

I started really following football around the hand of god moment.

You supporters have had to wait a long time

[Durhamfootman]

I've had a few minor criticisms of Walker this tournament, but I thought he was terrific tonight. Defended very well, thoroughly composed, Spent a lot more time going forward than in recent matches and with 2 wing backs bombing forward, England looked a much more dynamic team. Too much for Denmark tonight. I think the scoreline slightly flattered them

If England play with a similar mentality in the final I'll be very happy, regardless of the result

[Durhamfootman]

Whos the best England player this tournament. Sterling or Shaw.....

I looked at Sterling tonight with 115 mins of football under his belt and he was still charging up the field with the ball at his feet, attacking the defenders and giving his team some breathing space. That'll do for me. What an athlete

[bigfluffylemon]

Didn't think Rice was so good, bit too negative. Hard to criticise Pickford too much. Yes, he looked nervy, but he made some decent saves and cleared well enough under pressure.

My Danish boss is being very gracious in defeat, saying we deserved it and he hopes we beat Italy.

Mrs BFL has decided she's supporting Italy for the final. She did live there for many years growing up, so does have a connection to the place, but it's largely because she doesn't like England much at the moment, between Brexit and racist supporters. Kinda hard to argue there.

If we do win against Italy, Scottish fans will never let us forget that they were the only team we failed to beat.

[bigfluffylemon]

Whos the best England player this tournament. Sterling or Shaw.....

I looked at Sterling tonight with 115 mins of football under his belt and he was still charging up the field with the ball at his feet, attacking the defenders and giving his team some breathing space. That'll do for me. What an athlete

Sterling was brilliant, nearly made it 3-1 at 115 minutes but for a cracking save. He beat so many defenders over the game I lost count. Although he did just basically admit in his post match interview that he went down softly for the penalty...

[yuppie]

Sterling had a brilliant game. Again.

If Scottish fans only enjoyment is a draw against England, well just imagine how upset they will be if England wins.

When living amongst them the biggest cheer was always when England lost, louder than when Scotland won. Says it all really.

[sussexpob]

Well well. Never thought I'd see the day. Played well. This is the real golden generation, this lot can go far.

Starting on Sunday

[alfie]

Phew. First time I've really been nervous in this tournament. Credit the Danes , they came to play. Though to be honest if not for Schmeichel they might have been beaten three or four to one.

Sterling immense for England - again. And Walker had his best game. Bit mixed for some of the others. I actually think this was overall one of England's poorer games ... the nerves of the occasion and expectations got to a few of them : Pickford in particular , after an excellent five matches , was jittery for much of the game (though it would be harsh to criticize him for the Danish goal - that was a brilliant free kick) . Still really glad it didn't go to penalties !

As to the controversial penalty calls : I thought Kane should have had the earlier one : reckon the one actually given was a bit soft though perhaps technically correct . VAR checked so hard to complain too much - which hasn't stopped social media going off Regardless : given all the chances and domination they had I think England deserved the win.

People will argue about the substitutions , timing and personnel . But {a} job done ; and {b} I'd suggest that allowing Denmark to burn their powder early and having more fresh legs at the end was the right decision. Grealish on and then off seems a bit odd at first sight ; but if they were to go to a back five for the closing stages (again - it worked , however nervous it might make people) it almost had to be him as you couldn't get Kane or Sterling off surely ? Southgate clearly trusts all his players to do their jobs - and they likewise seem to trust him. The final test is coming so I hope his luck - if that is what it is - holds up.

Commiserations to Denmark but I think the right two teams are in the final. Hope it's another cracker like these semis

[bigfluffylemon]

I see the penalty is already being debated to death on social media, with some labelling Sterling a cheat. The consensus seems to be that it was soft, but technically a penalty because there was contact. Looks like this may be another, like Hurst's crossbar goal in '66, that is forever debated. At least, if England win the final...

Of course, very little of this mentions that England had a pretty clear penalty ruled out earlier. I've seen complaints about England players going down softly against the 'tough' Denmark, but when the outstanding player is the Danish keeper (according to the stat analysis, one of the best keeping performances ever in a Euro finals), and the match stats show 58% England possession, 10 shots on target vs 3, 20 shots vs 6 and 10 fouls v 21 fouls from Denmark, it's hard not to argue that England were the better team on the night.

They do never make it easy on their supporters, though, do they? Sunday (Monday morning my time) is going to be a nailbiter again, I'm sure.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I thoought England easily deserved their win, but I stopped watching in extra time as I was too annoyed by their diving, and the commentors' bias over it. Ideally the ref wouldn't have fallen for it.

[Durhamfootman]

I also appreciated seeing an assistant manager (I presume it was Graham Jones, but not sure) standing next to SG and talking and gesticulating to him at several points during the game. It suggested to me that he was giving the manager the tactical advice he needed, which is what I've been crying out for

Seems the stars let Denmark down last night. Got themselves misaligned and in a bit of a muddle

[Durhamfootman]

I thoought England easily deserved their win, but I stopped watching in extra time as I was too annoyed by their diving, and the commentors' bias over it. Ideally the ref wouldn't have fallen for it.

At least nobody put the ball in with their hand and then subsequently claimed divine inspiration or used their hand to drag the ball back into play for the winning goal forcing the governing bodies into having to 'buy off' the affected team, so that they didn't make a fuss..... and there were no goals that hit the underside of the bar, clearly bounced halfway between the goal line and the back of the net, before being disallowed for not crossing the line...... so, progress!

[Gingerfinch]

Any changes for the final? Southgate hasn't kept the same team once and if he is superstitious will have to change one position!

[sussexpob]

Sterling immense for England - again. And Walker had his best game. Bit mixed for some of the others. I actually think this was overall one of England's poorer games ... the nerves of the occasion and expectations got to a few of them : Pickford in particular , after an excellent five matches , was jittery for much of the game (though it would be harsh to criticize him for the Danish goal - that was a brilliant free kick) . Still really glad it didn't go to penalties

Denmark clearly targeted England's center midfield, and it worked for a long time. When Denmark had their front three behind the ball, they just stood keeping their shape and allowed England's defenders plus Rice to just knock it around and eventually get bored and throw a risk pass in. And when Rice got inbetween the two front lines, they just pressed him to death. His inability to pass without taking a touch meant England lost the ball loads, and Rice looked punch drunk at stages. Twice he looked so lost, he let Denmark counter on a 50-50 ball he neither pressed or dropped into position picking up a marker.

In the end, Denmark's midfield tired though. Delaney and Damsgarrd came off, and suddenly it was a different story. England started to aggressively press, and for the last half of the match Denmark really struggled. They have gave everything all tournament, they can leave with heads held high. But the quality of England's bench and fitness really told in extra time.

[sussexpob]

As for the officiating, the ref was one of those classic idiots who just got caught in his own web of rubbish referring. Early in the game (literally first minutes), he gave England a foul for nothing, then realises he has set a terrible benchmark and in the first 5 minutes he blew everytime a player breathed in the region of another to balance it. You then get the sort of classic situation where players then get fouled, but the referee is tired of blowing everything to cover his previous error, then does nothing.

There was a foul given on Mason Mount when he tries to beat Dolberg (I think) right next to the England box. Mason clearly fouls the Danish lad, but the ref gave him the free kick. Mason then got the ball from the free kick he won, and the referee blew him for backing into the Danish lad when the replay clearly showed Mason was having his shirt ripped off from behind. The referee basically knows the first free kick was a nonsense, and is desperate to make up for it at the first opportunity.

The Kane foul in the box is a penalty. Even the Belgian commentator was asking if the rules had changed, its a clear foul. I think the ref doesnt want to give it as its a big call - when Sterlng goes down though, its like he knows he's made a mistake and its a sort of three strikes you are out; weak referees do this and allow previous decisions to interfere with subsequent ones. The ref was in a position where he'd have pretty much given anything to make up for the Kane foul. And then when that nothing came, he blows.

After that, you know an England player has to be totally murdered to get another decision as a sort of apology to Denmark. Vestergaard took someone out in the area not long after, if the Sterling one is a foul, that is also a penalty- but its not. And then I think Vestergaard also body checked Sterling as he knocked the ball passed him (the Belgian commentators both agreed it was an Ice Hockey check and a clear foul, debately inside the box) and again, the referee just told him to get up.

Just a terrible referee. No real bias. Think he gave both teams rubbish decisions, and the two major ones balanced out.

Poulsen came on and must have fouled Grealish to stop a counter 3 times - 3 clear bookings, ref didnt give any.